


October 31, 1938

by EHyde



Category: Captain America (2011), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), War of the Worlds (1938 Radio)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, pre-WWII
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-31
Updated: 2012-05-31
Packaged: 2017-11-06 11:18:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/418299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHyde/pseuds/EHyde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Chitauri invasion of 2012 was not the first time Steve Rogers protected the people of New York from an alien attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	October 31, 1938

“You must’ve looked like an idiot.”

“Well, reporters shouldn’t make up stories.” Belatedly, he added, “and actors shouldn’t pretend to be reporters.”

“Still looked like an idiot.”

“And what if it had been real? Better to look a fool than to let people die.”

Bucky relented. “You weren’t the only one,” he said, handing Steve the day’s paper. _Radio Listeners Panic, Taking War Drama as Fact._

Steve frowned. “People should be able to trust what they hear on the radio. A Martian invasion might be a little far-fetched, but a German one isn’t—people may say it won't affect us, but there's a war brewing in Europe.”

They were both silent a moment. “Do you think it could ever happen? A Martian invasion?” Bucky asked, sticking to the less-frightening topic.

“I did last night.”

“I wish I’d been there—what exactly did you do? Run door-to-door shouting, ‘the Martians are coming, run for the hills?’”

“That’s about it,” Steve admitted.

Bucky indicated the newspaper. “Most people just drove off in a panic. Or hid in a basement.”

“I guess I just couldn’t take the chance that—well, that someone could’ve died because of something I could’ve done, but didn’t.”

“You’re gonna get killed someday, you know,” said Bucky.

“Yes,” said Steve. “And it’ll count for something.”

“It really is a shame that you . . .” Bucky broke off.

“That I what, won’t be able to fight for my country? Don’t count me out.” He paused. “The army couldn’t stop them. The Martians. That was part of the story, I mean. They fired everything they had and it didn’t do a thing to the Martian war machines. When you’re up against something that powerful, it doesn’t make a difference how strong or weak you are. It’s what you choose to do that matters. If we don’t take a stand, we’ve already lost.”

“So were the Martians defeated, in the end?”

“I don’t know,” Steve shrugged. “I didn’t wait around to find out.”

**Author's Note:**

> On October 30, 1938, the Mercury Theatre on the Air broadcast a dramatization of HG Wells' "The War of the Worlds" in the style of a news broadcast. Many people who tuned in late and missed the opening credits thought that it was a real news report, as the fake-news style of storytelling was almost unheard of at the time.
> 
> The original broadcast can be heard here, if you're interested: http://sounds.mercurytheatre.info/mercury/381030.mp3


End file.
